Survey uncovers hidden salt in salad meals

25/08/2010

Salad may seem like a healthy option at lunchtime, but a new survey suggests that many salad and pasta bowls in supermarkets, high-street cafes and fast-food chains contain surprisingly high levels of salt.

Experts at Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash) are warning that a single salad meal could provide over half of an adult's maximum recommended daily intake of salt.

The campaign group surveyed 270 salad and pasta bowls and found that one in ten contained more salt than a Big Mac.

The Cash research also revealed that just 22 per cent of 'healthy' branded ranges qualified for a 'green' traffic light label.

Katharine Jenner, campaign manager at Cash, noted that many people choose salad when they are watching their waistline.

'Given the healthy image of salads, it's surprising to find that they contain such high levels of unnecessary salt,' she commented.

Cash chairman Professor Graham MacGregor, from the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, described the levels of salt in most of the surveyed salads as 'absurd'.

He pointed out: 'Clearly the manufacturers still have a long way to go if we are to reduce our salt intake to 6g a day and save the maximum number of lives.'

Commenting on the findings, the British Heart Foundation's Victoria Taylor explained that eating a diet high in salt can increase a person's risk of raised blood pressure, which is linked to heart disease and stroke.

She added that products need to be clearly labelled 'so that people know what's really in the food they buy'.

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